Duncan McKercher

Biographical info

McKercher (also spelled 'McKerracher' by Murdoch, 74-75) was born in Dunkeld c.1796 and 'of the Niel Gow school'; he lived much of his life in Gow's old Inver cottage (Alburger, 119), but died in 1873 in Edinburgh. He was known as 'the Dunkeld Paganini', a fiddler and teacher to aristocratic families in north of Scotland, who played with 'real characteristic North-country tang' (Murdoch, 75). He often played at evening concerts in Glasgow City Hall and at James Lumsden's Scotch concerts in Edinburgh, and was famed for playing 'The Mason's Apron' while wearing it. Baptie noted that McKercher was born in Inver, and adds that his 'Sir Neil Menzies' strathspey is close to style of Robert Mackintosh and William Marshall.